This application relates altitude detection. More particularly, this application relates to altitude detection systems and methods.
Radio altimeters have been used to detect the altitude of an aircraft. Radio altimeters can provide altitude data for ground proximity warning systems, reactive wind shear systems, and supplemental information during the final stages of landing/touchdown. The altitude data generally is representative of the distance along a perpendicular line beneath the aircraft to the ground. The addition of a radio altimeter on an aircraft forces the consideration of the required volume, weight, power, reliability, and cost of the altimeter sensor function. Further, antennae for radio altimeters typically require that holes be provided through the fuselage.
Weather radar systems are known in the art for detecting and displaying severe weather to a crew in an aircraft on a two-dimensional map display showing range, bearing, and intensity of a detected weather system, which may be convective or stratiform in nature. Flight hazards due to weather conditions are primarily the result of precipitation and turbulence. Airborne weather radar systems have modes of operation that have been optimized to detect rain or wet precipitation. Other modes of operation include ground mapping where the radar has been optimized to produce a two-dimensional display of ground terrain in front or around the aircraft. Furthermore, other radar modes may be included that are optimized to produce terrain height estimations. These estimations may be used and presented to the flight crew in various ways.
Accordingly, there is a need for a less expensive system and method of determining altitude of an aircraft above local ground level. There is also a need for a system and method of determining altitude that does not require additional holes in the fuselage and minimizes the volume, weight, power, reliability allocation, and cost of generating the altitude estimate. Further, there is a need for a system for and method of determining altitude that does not utilize a radio altimeter. Yet further, there is a need for an on-board avionic weather radar system which can be utilized to determine altitude. Further still, there is a need for determining altitude using an avionic system that is existing on the aircraft for a different function. Yet further still, there is a need for an avionic system that can be used to confirm if the radio altimeter data or other altitude data is accurate.
It would be desirable to provide a system and/or method that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present specification. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned needs.